Micro-mechanical devices having a micromirror structure produced using semiconductor materials technology are known in the art.
Such micro-mechanical devices are used in portable equipment, such as, for example, portable computers, laptops, notebooks (including ultra-thin notebooks), PDAs, tablets, smartphones, and for optical applications, in particular to direct using desired methods light radiation beams generated by a light source.
By virtue of the small dimensions, with such devices strict requirements can be met as regards space occupation in terms of area and depth.
Micromirror devices generally include a mirror element suspended over a cavity and are produced from a body of semiconductor material so as to be movable, for example with roll and pitch movements.
The rotation of the mirror element is controlled by means of an actuation system which, presently, is of the electrostatic, electromagnetic or piezoelectric type.
The need to perform tests on the operation of such MEMS devices is recognized; however, the systems presently known for testing magnetically- or electromagnetically-actuated MEMS devices are limited by electromagnetic interference phenomena between the magnetic field generators used for the test and the electronic circuitry of the test machine (wafer prober and tester). Problems have furthermore been encountered in the fabrication of probe cards that can be used in such systems, due to the difficulty of integrating magnetic field generators within them.
There is accordingly a need in the art for a probe card for a magnetically- or electromagnetically-actuable device, and a test system including the probe card suitable for overcoming the abovementioned difficulties and limits.